The Guardian from London, Greater London, England • 28

The Guardian Monday December 14 1998 8 1 Sport Leicester 31 Newcastle 1 8 Back marks the breadth of Tigers' territory Robert Armstrong sees the Leicester flanker fashion an old-time forward victory Rugby Union Premiership One: Bath 9 Northampton 1 5 Mendez rubs the failings of Bath in the mud Robert Kitson sees the Saints march on over the dead bodies of Robinson's men captain Richard Webster could be out for up to six weeks if it is confirmed he suffered a fractured cheekbone. The exact cause of Webster's injury was as clear-cut as everything else on a day when it was hard not to feel sympathy for Ed Morrison as referee. He ordered Bath to change their jerseys in the second half but, within five minutes, the two packs were as indistinguishable as they had been for much of the game. Crucially there was no sure way of telling whose hand deflected the ball over the Bath line from a line-out to allow Budge Pountney to snaffle the decisive 66th-minute try. Given the barely adequate lights and conditions, it was a bit like watching the decisive scene of a thriller through the pub window from a bench in the car-park, with commentary by John Snagge.

"I don't know who's got the touchdown but it's either Bath or Northampton." Paul Grayson and Mike Catt fought out a mostly low-scoring draw in the fly-half department but no one could dispute the quality of Northampton's defence, particularly in a titanic third quarter when Bath, whose better moments could be traced back to the sin-binning of Dave Hilton, laid unsuccessful siege to their 22. McGeechan called it "Lionesque" and sees no weak-tackling link in his side. "It's about individual technique and collective involvement." he said, ironically singling out the qualities which made Bath so indomitable for years. It is up to Robinson to rediscover the old spark, unless he wishes to court discontent from much closer to home. SCORERS: Bath: Penalties: Call 3 Northampton: Trios: Dawson Pountney Conversion: Grayson Penalty: Grayson Bath: Balshaw Evans.

Maggs, Guscolt. Adebayo. Calt Hdlley (Nicol. h-ll. Hilton.

Regan (Long h-t). Ubogu Rodman. Sturnharn. Earnshaw Webster capt Peters, 21). Lyle Northampton: Beat.

Moil. Myth. Allen, Slcightholrre. Grayson Dawson Pagel Mendez Stewart, Metcalfe Rotlber tcapl). Seely.

Pountney Lam Referee: Morrison (Bnstoll PART of Saturday's mud-spattered entertainment, it' it can be called that, was a marriage proposal via the Tannoy at half-time. Suzanne, for whom romance clearly lias no connection with blue skies and fluffy clouds, said yes to Darren but otherwise there was as much sweetness and light evident at The Rec as in a pint of murky pond water. Second-placed Northampton's eighth win in nine league games and Bath's fourth straight defeat was always going to produce a divergence in post-match moods without the subtext of last season's messy divorce between the former Bath hooker Kederico Mendez and his erstwhile coach Andy Robinson. Back for the first time since the break-up. Mendez told of his new-found happiness in the East Midlands and made it crystal clear where he believes his old employers are going wrong.

"They've got arguably the greatest squad in the country and one of the higher playing budgets but they're not under good management, they could be much better," the forthright Puma argued, rejecting Robinson's methods as Mendez went on to suggest the experience "nearly ruined my rugby career" and confessed it took extreme persuasion from lan McGeechan to tempt him into giving English rugby another try. Both are glad he did. "I think we've got the squad to win the title," Mendez said. Robinson, who on his day makes Kenny Dalglish look like Old King Cole, is the last person to need reminding of Bath's lofty standards. Saturday's visit of Saracens is followed by only one home league game between now and April and last January's European Cup triumph seems a lifetime ago.

Dan Lyle, at least, is back after almost 10 months absence with a serious knee injury but. with Phil do Glan-ville already missing, the club A TITANIC struggle at Welford Road between arguably the two most powerful packs in the Premiership emphasised the enduring strengths and drawbacks of English rugby. Leicester's irresistible forwards revelled in the rainswept, error-strewn lottery while Newcastle gave away 21 penalties and free-kicks, which ultimately cost them the chance of victory. Dean Richards, the Leicester manager, acknowledged that neighbouring Northampton, who trail the Tigers only on scoring difference after their win at Bath, had put extra pressure on his side. To concede pole position to the uppity Saints at this stage was unthinkable: seeing off Newcastle, the defending champions, sent out the message that Leicester have no intention of being denied silverware this season.

England, who have eight Tigers in their elite squad, may never win the World Cup the Leicester way that is to say with abrasive forwards and a dreadnought defence but Newcastle discovered there was no answer to traditional Tiger virtues. Neil Back, always shrewd and dynamic, was the chief beneficiary of Leicester's hallmark tactic, the drive maul, which produced two tries and threatened several others for the England open-side. "Newcastle worked very hard to defend our drive from the line-out but no matter what they did it was difficult to stop unless they were prepared to pull down the maul and risk giving away three points from a penalty," said Richards. "Overall I didn't think we played particularly well, especially when we got possession, but we're more than happy to have finished in front of a team of Newcastle's tough calibre." No doubt Leicester will add a fresh dimension to their muscular strategy when play-makers such as Joel Stransky and Will Greenwood, not to mention their pacy wing Ezu-like, recover from injury. All three were badly missed each time the enterprising Back moved the ball out to the mid-field.

Indeed, it is unlikely that Newcastle would have led 18-17 on the hour had that trio been there to finish off Leicester's hard graft with their distinctive cutting edge. The Tigers had their scrum-half Austin Healey to thank for getting them out of trouble with clever relieving kicks down the tramlines whenever Newcastle's Garath Archer and Peter Walton looked ready to impose themselves in the loose. The stream of "ti, Power play Worcester's Duncan Hughes breaks away from the beleaguered Bristol defence photograph, david Rogers Premiership Two: Worcester 20 Bristol 9 Knox writes scrappy script back from competing with the big boys. Over-enthusiasm was often their biggest problem on this occasion but they can boast a good committed set of forwards and. in John Liley, a proven kicker.

The former Leicester full-back had already slotted five penalties before Jim Jenner crashed over from close-range to make the game safe in injury time with Bristol's depleted pack finally conceding the unequal struggle. 5COREB5: Worcostor: Try: Jenner Pcnaltios: Liley 5 Bristol: Penalties: Hull 3 Worcester: Liley, Morris. Hughes McLaughlin, Baxter. Le Bns. Fenley (capt).

Lmnett Ball. Mitchell (Turner 73min). Raymond. Lloyd. Hilton-Jones, Richardson Jenner Bristol: Hull.

Misson Leaupepe. Hassan. Larkin. Knox. Baber, Emms Tamati (Tapsoll 54), Wring (Hmkins 54).

Eagle. Giles. Evans (Martin 20). Bennett (Short 75), Gabey IBrownngg 75) Referee: Hughes (Manchester) Fenley whipped the Australian's legs away as he put in a relieving kick and the pair ended up wrestling on the ground with Knox throwing at least one clear punch. When the referee called him over, Knox continued to argue the toss despite repeated warnings and finally departed close to tears, a potential 30-day ban awaiting him.

In fairness to the Manchester official, even Bristol's director of rugby Bob Dwyer felt Knox, capped 13 times by Australia, had dug his own verbal grave. In his previous two games, his playmaker had received a white and a yellow card, both for dissent, although Dwyer could not resist accusing Worcester of deliberately targeting him for special treatment. Robert Kitson PERHAPS it was the morning scoreboard from Adelaide or just a longer-term product of pent-up Ashes frustration. Either way, as referee Gareth Hughes stood listening to the antipodean opinions of Bristol's ex-Wallaby fly-half David Knox, something snapped. Out came the red card, off went Knox and down went Bristol to a defeat which adds a little New Year colour to the Allied Dunbar Premiership Two.

There was little doubt the 17th-minute flashpoint, also involving Worcester's spiky captain Bruce Fen-ley, decided a scrappy contest which many half-expected to go the other way. 'It was pre-meditated and it worked. You don't have to be Einstein to work it out," said Dwyer, unimpressed by another key decision given against his side. A quick throw-in by debutant hooker Dawson Tamati in the first half looked to have put Gareth Baber over for the game's first try, only for the referee to rule the throw had been crooked. Dwyer quizzed the touch judge afterwards and could unearth nothing wrong; his opposite number Les Cus-worth took a more restrained view.

Despite losing two points for fielding an ineligible player against Wakefield, his emerging team are now level with leaders Bristol and Cusworth feels only self-belief is holding them Sale 26 Gloucester costly penalties Newcastle conceded included a couple for dissent by Archer and another for stamping by their flanker Richard Arnold, who was sin-binned. Oddly Newcastle scored while a man short. Healey clearly enjoyed the decision-making that goes with the No. 9 shirt after his recent inconsistent form on the England wing. His value as a tactical kicker was seen to good effect when he created the chance for Back's second try on the stroke of half-time, with a pinpoint 40-metre ponalty to touch that set up the line-up close to the flag.

Early on Healey had marshalled Leicester's surging drive maul like a policeman on point duty after Fritz van Heerden won the line-out and smuggled the hall to Back, who duly opened the scoring. Steve Bates, the Newcastle coach, focused on the referee Steve Lander's decisions instead of his own side's shortcomings after rituaily declaring: "Don't get me wrong: I'm not criticising him." Admittedly Lander did appeal- to make an important error midway through the second half, penalising Newcastle in the midfield when he really ought to have reset the scrum. Both sides followed the new fashion of using two goal-kickers, though in Leicester's case Tim Stimpson was used as a late replacement for Geordan Murphy after the Irishman had edged his side back in front. 20-18, with his second successful penalty. Earlier Newcastle's old war-horse Rob Andrew had sent Stuart Legg clear for a try in the left corner and then got on the score-sheet himself after charging down Pat Howard's careless clearing kick.

Newcastle, though, found they were living on borrowed time. When their discarded full-back Stimpson came on for Leicester near the end he promptly lashed home two superb penalty goals for ruck offences which opened up a lifi-18 lead. The Tigers did not really need Jon Stuart's injury-time try. courtesy of a snappy Stimpson pass, to seal their win but they were still grateful for the opportunity to improve their scoring difference. If anything, the lii point margin of defeat let Newcastle off lightly.

SCORERS: Leicester: Tries: Back 2 Stuart Conversions: Murphy 2 Penalties: Murphy 2 Stimpson 2 Newcastle: Tries: Legg. Andrew Conversion: Wilkinson Penalties: Wilkinson. Andrew Leicester: Murphy (Stimpson. 74minl. Lougheed.

Putter Stuart Lloyd. Howard. Healey. Jelley iRovvrilree 58 Cockenll IWest 5fi) Gartorlh Johnson (capt) Van Heerden Gustard Corry Back Newcastle: Legg Naylor. Shaw.

Wilkinson Tuigamala. Andrew, Armstrong. Graham. Nesdale, Hurter. Archer Weir Walton.

Beattie. Arnold Roferec: Lander (Liverpool) fcre Jim Mallinder went over. Raiwalui made the initial thrust and Mallinder gave the final pass for Hanley's first try and the youngster went solo from a tap penalty for the second. Hanley's and Mather's contribitions were an encouraging bonus for Sale and can only strengthen Mitchell's hand. SCORERS: Sale: Trios: How.wlh.

Mallrnder Hanley 2 Conversions: Howarth 3 Gloucester: Try: Sainl-Anoro Conversion: Mannix Ponalty: Mannix Sale: Mallinder (capt). Moore, Davidson (Mather. 32min), Yates. Hanley. Howarth Smith (Ellis 73), Wuistanley IW.IIi.wason 72, Diamond (Greening, h-tl Bell.

Baldwin (Murphy, 70), Raiwalui, Anylesea, Sanderson (A Sanderson 70) Gloucester: Lumsdcn, Jnhnscn Fanolua, Tombs (capt). Mannix. Sanders. Windo IWoodman 56) Forley. Deacon.

Fidler, Cornwall. Pearce. Carter (Jones. 58). Oionioh Referee: Piercey (Yorkshire) ford's fly-half Tony Yapp and colliding with his own flanker.

Duane Monkley. Monkley made a significant contribution alongside two other Kiwis, the hooker Shane McDonald, who was sin-binned in the second half, and the centre Mike Mullins. West adapted to the conditions, muddy and cold, better. was a clay when Bedford's assets on the pitch also froze. SCORERS: Bedford: Trios: Howard.

Ewnns West Hartlepool: Tries: Farrell, Brcwor Conversion: Vile 2 Penalties: Vile 3 Bedford: Howard (UnrJorwood. 72min, Whctstono. Ewens. Murdoch (capt) O'Mahony, Yapp, Harrison, Ozdomir (Cano, 50), Richards, Hartland. Beardshaw.

Ward Winlors, Forslor. Paramoro. West Hartlepool: Farroll. Lough, Mullins, Connolly (Tangrnoa. 17), John; Vile, Nu'nuali'itia (Stone.

28). Sparks. McDonald. Beal, Farrier (capt), Giachon, Ponton. Monkley, Browor.

Referaei While (Gloucester). European Cup, quarter-final Stade Frangais 71 Pontypridd 1 4 Ponty fried by the French 10 Mitchell sings a different tune Prem One: Saracens 40 London Irish 26 Pienaar power finds new role That was to keep driving at Sale. And. though four points adrift, Gloucester certainly looked capable of winning at half-time, particularly as they must have thought the fierce defensive resistance of Pat Sanderson. Dion O'Cuinnea-gain and Simon Raiwalui had taken its toll.

But Sale somehow upped the tempo and within 20 minutes sent the 3,000 crowd into raptures with three superbly constructed tries two by the 19-year-old wing Steve Hanley, standing in for Tom Beim. Howarth, who scored the only first-half try, instigated the next with a huge pass to Sanderson, who found great support from Mather and O'Cuinneagain be- David Irvine SALE are serious under-achievers. according to their coach John Mitchell. He thinks he has talent in abundance at his disposal yet has castigated his players as "diabolical" in defence and questioned his pack's commitment over 80 minutes. After this emphatic win over Gloucester, two new adjectives were added to his vocabulary.

Mitchell called Sale's successful defence of their try-line until the fourth minute of added time as "awesome" and his pack's dominance of the powerful Gloucester eight as Shane Howarth, rightly ac Paul Rees PONTYPRIDD collapsed to the heaviest defeat in their 123-year history as Stade Frangais played cham-pagne rugby with such effervescence and verve at Stade Jean Bouin in Paris that the favourites for the Welsh championship were left holding on to the cork. The teams were tied at 7-7 shortly before the end of the first half, but the French champions accelerated away with five tries in 18 minutes through dazzling interplay between forwards and backs. Total rugby which left Pontypridd in total disarray. Pontypridd had prepared for a more attritional match after their previous forays to France had resulted in beatings of the physical kind, but the only punching Stade were interested in involved holes in the visitors' defence. Pontypridd's captain, Neil Jenkins, failed to return for the second period because of a shoulder injury he sustained early in the match and they had to make three other involuntary substitutions.

"No team in Britain would have lived with Stade Fran-cais today," said the Pontypridd coach Dennis John. Stado's England international flanker Richard Pool-Jones would like to put the theory to the test by playing the current European Cup champions, Bath, before the end of the season, should his side emerge as their successors. "The tournament is clearly missing the English clubs," said Pool-Jones, "even if its importance has not been diminished. Winning the European Cup has been our goal all season and we are on course. If we win, it would be appropriate to meet Bath." Stade scored 10 tries, though the highlight of the game was Pontypridd's first, a move which started underneath their own posts and ended with the wing Gareth Wyatt being sent away on a 40-yard run to the line.

Pontypridd were forced to rely on sniping because it was Stade, dominant in the front five, who exerted all the pressure. Ponty's defensive effort gradually weakened and they made unforced errors which Stade, who had dropped three players, including the captain Vincent Moscato, after a surprise home defeat to Biarritz, seized on with relish. faces the most demanding period in his six years at the club. "Wo have to absorb the lessons of this defeat and make our next opponents feel as we do now," he said. "We had high hopes of winning, but they were like an international side." SCORERS: 5todo Francois: Trios: Doininrjuoz 2, Lassucq.

Mytlon, Pool-Jonos. Goorges. Gomes, do Villors Loustoau, Moscato Conversions: Dorninrjuoz 9 Ponalty: Dominguez Pontypridd: Tries: Wyalt, Lewis Convorsions: Jonkins, Wyatt Stade Francois: Viars. Gomes, Douriho. Mytton, Lombard.

Dominguez (capt), Lassucq (Loustau 66mm) Marconnet. Pcdrosa (Moscato 56). Do Villiors (Malot 75). Chaltardon Georges (Aurndou 561. Mom (Keith 75).

Pool-Jones. Juillet Pontypridd: Morgan, Wyatt. James. Lewis (S Lewis 44), Lewis. Jenkins capt, Enocli 40), John (Taylor 70), A Gritfilhs (M Grittittvj 75).

LamoMon. Tau (Eynon 75). Prosser (Freeman 57). Gouqh, Lewis. Williams.

Mcintosh (Lloyd 75) Roferoei Mulr ISRUI will be out for "weeks, even months" according to Richmond's director of rugby John Kingston, who said the referee David Price was Police had to escort the referee Nigel Whitehouse off the field after Colomiers' European Cup win, 23-9 over Minister. Bedford 1 0 West Hartlepool 23 Brewer's cheer as West win the battle of the poor men claimed man of the match after an imperious display at stand-off. added his tribute too. "It was a joy to Lie behind that pack today." Yet Howarth's control, direction and flawless option-selection all of which have been absent this season begs the question: why did he not depose Jos Baxendall sooner? Sale are, indeed, a talented side, especially in the dry when their pace, willingness to move the ball wide and counter-attacking instincts get to sides like Gloucester. "We panicked and adopted the wrong tactics altogether in the second half," admitted the visitors' coach Richard Hill.

"We should have stuck to what we were doing." With the owner Frank Warren's assets frozen during his legal battle with Don King, every fan is as vital as every point. Saturday's crowd was no better or worse than when Bedford were amateur. Crow said the club was beginning each month with a blank bank balance and living on its income but, with no home league game until January 16, it was difficult to argue with Mike Brewer, the director of rugby at West Hartlepool, and his Micaw-berish dictum, "if you have 10 in your pocket you can't spend Brewer has just cut 400,000 from the West budget, which included putting seven men on pay-as-you-play contracts. Two of those earning 200 a game were in Saturday's side which half Brad Free, who scored the opening try and made another for Pienaar before half-time. Saracens displayed a lack of ballast in their midfield defence which encouraged the Exiles to punch holes in that area with storming runs by their Hankers and centres.

On the stroke of half-time their gung-ho policy paid dividends when Cunningham came off his wing to cut a swathe through a scattered defence before laying off an inside pass to Jake Boer, who made a powerful run to the posts. Nevertheless the Irish once again allowed their hosts to reassert their authority with 10 points early in the second half. Johnson steered home his second penalty and then Paddy Johns won a line-out in the left corner from which Pienaar was driven over for his second try. The Exiles then managed to reduce the gap to four points with a short-range try by the hooker Richard Kirke plus two more penalties by Cunningham. However, Saracens moved up a couple of gears and sealed the win in the closing stages when Flat-man crashed over for a try.

SCORERS: Snracontil Trios: Free, Pienaar 2. Flatman Conversions: Johnson 4. Penoltlos: Johnson 4 London Irish: Tries: Boer. Kirke. Convorsions: Cunningham 2.

Penalties: Cunningham 4 Saracens; Johnson; Daniel, Constable. Ravcnscroll. Ft Wallace; Penaud. Froo. Flatman, Schutor, Wallace.

Johns, Grow-cock. Pionaai (capt). Hill, Diprose. London Irish: O'Shoa (capt); Bishop. Burrows, Vontor.

Cunningham; Bachop. Pull: Holley. Kirko. Hardwick, Strudwick. O'Kotly.

Boor. Dawson. Feaunali. Referee: Warren (RFU). Robert Armstrong SARACENS revealed a split personality, veering from passive to resourceful, before they clinched a four-try victory that keeps up the pressure on the Premiership leaders.

Francois Pienaar celebrated his first game as Saracens captain, as well as coach, with a brace of tries but the goal kicker Gavin Johnson's 20-point contribution made the crucial difference. Saracens, having relieved Tony Diprose of the captaincy, could well reap further reward from Pienaar's new-found freedom to take tactical decisions on the field. "I'm disappointed with the club's decision but it's done now and the priority is to get Saracens back on track for the title," said Diprose, who played an influential role alongside Pienaar in subduing the Irish pack, as did the 18-year-old prop David Flat-man, who scored a try on his league debut. The new-look Exiles had only five Irishmen in their line-up but their erratic organisation and tendency to blow hot and cold in attack more than lived up to the club's traditions. Saracens relished the opportunities to exploit lapses of concentration deep inside the Irish 22.

No player was quicker to punish Irish fallibility close to the line than Saracens' Australian scrum- enjoyed their first league victory in 12 starts and narrowed the gap below Bedford at the buttom to two points. "If we drop to the second division, we'll probably never get back to the first as the club couldn't sustain a professional squad," said Brewer, the former All Black whose late try sealed the result. "This team costs about 1 million a year to run and our receipts are around 400,000. We're looking at a loss of about 100,000 this year." West, though, were relieved to bank the invaluable asset of a win and relieved, too, when their chunky Samoan scrum-half Tu Nu'nuali'itia returned to the North-east on Saturday night. He was knocked cold during the first half after wrapping himself around Bed Ian Malin BEDFORD'S players were out in the town the day before, mingling with Christinas shoppers and drumming up support for this struggle between the basement clubs.

Bedford are also on the look-out for a local Bill Gates as they dig in for a hard winter. But as their director of business Tim Crow says: "Unfortunately, not too many people are shopping for rugby clubs nowadays." For these clubs, the wolf is not just at the door, it is lounging in the favourite armchair. Crow started last Tuesday, after the departure of Geoff Cooke, the chief executive, with Rudolph Straeuli taking charge of team affairs. Clarke's fractured English RICHMOND'S captain Ben Clarke was taken to hospital with a suspected fractured cheekbone and possible concussion after coming on as a substitute in Saturday's 35-28 victory over Cardiff. The England forward suffered severe facial injuries and.